Letters: Terrorism on a global scale

Newspaper accounts of the Boston horror don't point out this damage is what United States and NATO forces did in Yugoslavia and Afghanistan with "bomblets" and cluster bombs, 1,000 pound "pressure cookers," each sending up to 60,000 pieces of jagged steel shrapnel to rip into hundreds of humans and animals, causing death and many amputations. Dr. Rade Grbic, surgeon, quoted in a recent article by media analyst Norman Solomon, said "Neither I nor my colleagues have seen such horrific wounds as those caused by cluster bombs." The Boston bombers are bad, and U.S. government bombers are good?

No, it's terrorism, on a global scale, conducted by our government, paid for by our tax dollars. The government apparently claims these bombs are essential for the military's mission. Exactly what mission is that? Like drones, with their 98 percent miss rate; in addition to the number of civilians killed, is the "other" category that includes "combatant-aged males." Is that the mission?

What happened to the Kellogg-Briand Pact the United States signed?

I wonder if the military's "pressure cookers" were celebrated at the recent bomb conference sponsored by Monterey's Naval Postgraduate School.

Flag waving anyone?

Nina Beety

Monterey

Veterans should reach out

It's quite sad to see the various veterans groups and other misinformed letter writers attacking the current effort, Fort Ord Access Initiative, to protect crucial access points to the Fort Ord National Monument. The proponents of the veterans cemetery, having clearly been co-opted by the proposed Monterey Downs developers, now seemingly have been duped by local business interests. Being a veteran myself, I have no problem with a new veterans cemetery, nor does anyone else. In fact, there is no opposition. But the veterans cemetery supporters seem intent on manufacturing enemies, fostering ill will and effectively damaging their mission with self-inflicted wounds.

Wouldn't any clear thinking person question building a race track and gambling mecca next to a cemetery? Consider that if or when the northern and western access points to Fort Ord National Monument are unavailable, what will be the impacts along the Highway 68 corridor and the accompanying inconveniences for all Peninsula residents wishing to access the Fort Ord National Monument?

Positive-thinking veterans should be reaching out and working with the community, not alienating them.

Larry Parrish

Carmel Valley

Roads to Fort Ord

The Fort Ord Open Space Access Initiative does not change the veterans cemetery. Here is the wording directly out of the initiative: "This initiative does not alter the land uses of the parcels being planned for use as a veterans cemetery and it's endowment parcel."

Current access roads can not be altered by the initiative. Normandy Road, Parker Flats Cutoff Road and Eucalyptus Road leading to the cemetery are west of the initiative parcels and lay outside of the initiative jurisdiction and are unaffected.

Eucalyptus Road is already a wide, beautiful, brand new taxpayer-funded road that leads directly to the veterans cemetery.

Chris Mack

Carmel

Supports Fort Ord Access Initiative

As a veteran who trained at Fort Ord, I support the Fort Ord Access Initiative which does not include the veterans cemetery.

We need access to the Fort Ord National Monument from the west side.

At one of the FORA meetings that I attended, it was stated that approximately 3,500 buildings still needed to be removed.

We need to build on urban blight and be conservative about our water and natural resources.

We need to preserve this irreplaceable piece of our natural heritage for future generations.

Chris Herron

Elkhorn

Girl Scouts grow into leaders

101 years ago an amazing woman named Juliette Gordon Low started something that continues to serve this great country today. Girl Scouts has helped to shape women like Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Hillary Clinton, Condolezza Rice, Kathy Ireland, Katie Couric and Col. Nina Armagno, Vandenberg Air Force Base commander.

In fact, there are over 55,000,000 Girl Scout alumnae. Girls who have grown into women who change the world on a daily basis.

On Monday, Girl Scouts honors the "Leaders behind the Leaders," the millions of volunteers who have guided generations of girls to become women of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

Each year the 6,000 adult members of Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast donate time and talent worth $1 million or more. In Monterey County alone, there are 636 adults supporting 1,727 girls, helping them to learn and live a timeless promise.

We invite readers to join us to celebrate Girl Scout Leader's Day on Monday. Thank a Girl Scout volunteer, past or present, for their commitment to an organization that prepares today's girls to become tomorrow's business owners, doctors, homemakers, scientists, athletes, soldiers, artists, teachers and more.